Michael Mohammandi - Latest Blogs

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April Wine Club Roundup: “Darker Than Blue Cafe” - and some good Zinfandel
May 2, 2008

On April 29, 2008 the foodandwineblog.com wine club met up to enjoy upscale yet traditional American cuisine and try our luck with some Zinfandel. We had a great turnout (including many newcomers) and ended up trying three sparkling wines (one Cava, two Prosecco), 8 Zinfandels, and one Petit Sirah (no notes taken!). The food was great as it always is at Darker Than Blue Cafe. Huge thanks to Chef/co-owner Casey Jenkins and our server (Hassan) for keeping the food and waters coming! I highly recommend Darker Than Blue Cafe for a comfortable, laid back dinner of traditional American Cuisine. The serving sizes are more than generous (just ask anyone who ordered a roasted chicken or slow-cooked beef ribs!) and the restaurant is BYOB - it is it one of the best BYOB restaurants in the Baltimore area. If the blackened tilapia is on the menu...it’s a must try.

Great job by Krista and Eric (pictured here) in bringing the only Primitivo of the bunch and providing two of the top three wines (actually, great work Krista!). By popular vote, the top three Zins were:

1. 2005 Rosa del Golfo Primitivo: smokey nose, dark fruits, but I thought it fell apart on the finish. We adhere to the rules of democracy though, so this was the overall winner! My rating: 84 pts, PV
2. 2005 Ridge Three Rivers Zinfandel: A solid bottle from one of the best producers of Zinfandel in the world. Notes of dark fruit, chocolate and a touch of spice. My rating: 89 pts
3. 2006 Rabbit Ridge Zinfandel Central Coast: Good concentrated fruit flavors but not jammy with nice acidity and a long finish. My rating: 88 pts

Tasting notes:

2005 Rosa del Golfo Primitivo - $15: Nose of smoked meats and dark fruits. Medium weight on the palate with earth and mineral notes but lacks structure and falls apart. Well-water finish, drinkable but not great. My rating: 84 pts, PV

2005 Bogle Zinfandel Old Vine Zinfandel - $13: Blueberry and plum among other dark fruits. Good structure just a little too much heat on the finish for me. My rating: 85 pts, OKV

2005 Rosenblum North Coast Zinfandel - $12: Blackberry brandy, chocolate and dark fruits on the nose. Loads of dark fruit, touch of spice and earth notes. Good value Zinfandel from one of the biggest producers in California. My rating: 85 pts, OKV

2006 “Sin Zin” Zinfandel Alexander Valley - $10: The label was a crowd favorite, but unfortunately the wine wasn’t! Various red and black fruits, good amount of acidity and pepper notes. My rating: 84 pts, OKV

2005 Cellar Number “8″ Zinfandel - $13: Blackberry, plum, light cedar notes, spice and a touch of black cherry somewhere near the finish. The acidity is good, but a bit off balance. My rating: 87 pts, GV

2006 Rabbit Ridge Zinfandel Central Coast - $15: Concentrated blackberry and dark raspberry notes, pepper and herb notes as well. Good acidity, medium finish. My rating: 88 pts, GV

2005 Zoom Zinfandel Lot 5 North Coast -$12: Ripe blueberry, prune notes with flavors of pepper. medium tannins and medium acidity. My rating: 85 pts, OKV

2005 Ridge Three Valleys Zinfandel -$22: Deep plum color. Loads of dark fruit, notes of chocolate, leather, spice. Nothing overly complex or refined, but a good entry-level Ridge wine. My rating: 89 pts, OKV

Other pictures from the night (from right to left: Heather and I finishing off a few drops out the the top bottles; Yashar, Donna, Aubrey and Matt - and my empty seat with the giant slab of ribs!), Aubrey displaying the red velvet cake)

Author: Michael Mohammandi
Category: Miscellaneous

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Restaurant Review: The Woodberry Kitchen - Baltimore (Clipper Mill area) - Highly Recommended
May 1, 2008

Overview
Ambiance: Business casual attire, rustic yet upscale decor, upbeat music playing in the background - think Pazo but a little more relaxed.
Food: Local produce and meat, organic- very fresh ingredients from vegetarian to seafood- Mediterranean influence
Service: Knowledgeable, friendly and accomodating
Wine List: Good diversity of local wines as well as biodynamic and organic wines from all over the world. Moderate pricing.
Corkage: N/A
Attire: Business casual seems to be the theme
Overall rating: Tier 1 - 4.25/ 5.0 - Very good food, good service, diverse wine list, good desserts/coffee, complimentary valet service. Would definitely recommend trying.
Location/Contact Info: http://www.woodberrykitchen.com/
2010 Clipper Park Road, No. 126
Baltimore, MD 21211
Phone: 410-464-8000 (reservations highly suggested)

Review: When was the last time you had an upscale meal in Clipper Mill? I’ll make this easier, when was the last time you were in Clipper Mill? How about, have you heard of Clipper Mill? I’m guessing at least some of you answered “no” to all three! That’s OK though, this up and coming area near Hampden in Baltimore’s north side seems to be doing great as is. At least that is my conclusion after a packed house on a Monday night. A stones throw away from the Woodberry light rail stop and in the heart of the historic Clipper Mill renovation project sits a beautifully restored warehouse that is home to art gallery’s, business offices and a great all-organic restaurant. Opened in late 2007, the Woodberry Kitchen already seems to have figured out a plan for success.

We visited the Woodberry Kitchen on a Monday night. Our party of three arrived a few minutes before our 8:00 PM reservation and was delighted to find complimentary valet parking. After a short trip up the wrong steps (another group had the same problem) we figured our way around and arrived at all glass window wall that is the front of the restaurant. From outside we could see tables filled with diners dressed in business casual attire and the bustle of a well organized (or at least seemingly so!) restaurant. After a few seconds of admiring the rustic design of the restaurant (think Pazo’s) we were greeted by a friendly hostess who led us past the first floor of seating, up a wooden stair case to the upper level. Here we had a great view of the entire restaurant; exposed brick walls, metal rafters, and a very wide open floor plan. The aisles are a little tight upstairs, and tables are close together, but overall we were pretty comfortable.

Our server (Alejandro) was quick to introduce himself and within minutes it had seemed like we knew him for years. The overall service (especially our server) was one of the highlights of our visit. After introducing us to the menus and suggesting a few starters, Alejandro was off to grab us a bottle of Pares Balta Cava ($30). The list features local producers, as well as biodynamic and organic wines from around the world. Overall the wine list is well thought out and reasonably priced.

For starters we tried one of the many available homemade flatbreads ($11). Ours featured feta and olives - the bread was very fresh with a crisp outer layer but overall was a touch salty. The spinach salad ($9) with walnuts and goat cheese was delicious - my only comment would be that the dressing would benefit from a touch more acidity to balance out the rich cheese. Kim and I also tried the sardines ($11) which were prepared Mediterranean style with olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper. The fish tasted very fresh with my only criticism being this dish needed more olive oil/lemon. Overall we were very happy with the first part of our meal and look forward to going back to try out some of the other enticing “starter” options (a variety of oysters, chicken liver parfait, among many others!).

Nearing the end of our first course we ordered entrees as well as a new round of wine. As Kim and my father went with light dishes, they had a Quivira Sauvignon Blanc ($12) and Vida Organica Torronetes ($6), respectively. I on the other hand broke from my normal character and went with one of the few California Cabernets on the list: 2005 Honig Napa ($18). I didn’t take formal notes on the wine, but enjoyed the dark fruits and creamy texture and would give it a non-blind rating of 91+ pts. The pours were generous and overall we were happy with the wines.

Our entrees arrived in about 20 minutes which is good considering how busy they were. My father (a vegetarian) had the Vegetables with dumplings in a light cream sauce ($17). The dish featured fresh vegetables and was well seasoned. Overall he happy with both the presentation and taste of his dish. Kim, an avid “sea-foodie”, went with the broiled halibut served with asparagus and porcini mushrooms ($25). The halibut was one of the best I’ve had in a restaurant - cooked perfectly with the right amount of seasoning and a nice portion size. A bite of the dish with each component really highlighted the thought that went into this dish- very well done. My entree, unfortunately wasn’t as successful (to begin with).

I tried one of the specials: a skirt steak, bone-in with Cheddar potato gratin ($24). I specified “Rare-Plus; meaning between rare and medium rare but was given a medium (medium well on the edges) cut of beef. Alejandro seemed confused at what to do when I mentioned it was very much overcooked, but he took the dish away saying it would be “fixed”. Shortly thereafter the manager (Summer) came by to acknowledge she was aware of the problem and agreed it was overcooked. She offered to replace it with a boneless ribeye (I had received the last cut of the skirt steak). The new steak came and although wasn’t seared as I’d hoped, was cooked medium rare with a good level of seasoning. I also enjoyed the cheesy potato gratin. My only complaint here is that they charged me for the ribeye ($29) after having overcooked, then run-out of the steak I ordered- Que Sera Sera! It was only a few dollars difference.

After all this we still had room for dessert. My father enjoyed the house cheesecake which was very light and creamy while Kim seemed happy with her chocolate pudding that was a bit rich for me at that point of the evening. I had a piece of rhubarb pie served with vanilla ice cream which I thought was a great dessert - the tartness of the rhubarb pie was in good harmony with the sweet ice cream. Our coffee was pressed at the table and was dark and rich, whereas my espresso was one of the better ones I’ve had in a restaurant in Baltimore. Overall, another successful course.

Our bill came to $226 and some change, not bad considering the wines, three appetizers and full dessert course. For the quality and freshness of the ingredients it’s more than worth it. I’d suggest keeping an eye on the menu or calling every now and then about specials. We’ll be heading back soon to try out their oysters, a few more flat breads and to keep up on the seasonal specials. I’d also like to check out their extensive tea list which offers guests a nice way to finish off a meal.

Overall: I like this place. I think it’s a very good restaurant that has the potential to be great. As long as they keep making simple yet innovative dishes filled with fresh, local ingredients, I can see this becoming one of my regular, and highly recommended spots in Baltimore.

Author: Michael Mohammandi
Category: Wine Events

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Wine Club Meet-up Tonight! Blues, Jazz, Great Food and Zinfandel
April 29, 2008

Just a reminder that tonight is the wine club meetup. We’re at full capacity for the event. I recommend car pooling if you can and as always, a cab is a great way to go- especially when we’re tasting 15 or so wines!

I look forward to seeing some of you tonight at 7:00 PM and the Darker Than Blue Cafe! If you need directions or have any questions, give me a call!

For those of you who aren’t joining us, there is a great Loire Valley tasting at the Chesapeake Wine Company tonight. The tasting begins at 7:00 PM and costs $25. The lineup for tonight:

1. de Grenelle Chenin Blanc Brut NV - Saumur
2. Yves Lambert Cabernet Franc/Sauvignon Cremant Brut Rose - Loire
3. Dorices Muscadet ‘06 - Muscadet de Sevre et Maine
4. Boulay Sauvignon Blanc ‘06 Clos de Beaujeu - Sancerre
5. Boulay Sauvignon Blanc ‘06 Reserve de Comtesse - Sancerre
6. Pinon Chenin Blanc ‘06 - Vouvray
7. Pascal Lambert Cabernet Franc ‘05 Tradition Graves - Chinon
8. Joguet Cabernet Franc ‘05 Les Varennes du Grand Clos - Chinon

Author: Michael Mohammandi
Category: Wine Club

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A message from Lucy: ECEFCJN V
April 28, 2008

If you’ve never received a message from a 8 month old...then you might not know what “ECEFCJN V” means. My sister gave my niece Lucy control of the keyboard for a few seconds tonight and this is the message I received. This might not mean much to anyone else, but being Uncle Mike, 500 miles away, seeing “ECEFCJN V” means the world to me!

Anyways, just a reminder on how great family is! I hope you all are close with your loved ones- no one better to share wine with than your family (even a brother-in-law, love ya Dane!).

Cheers!

Author: Michael Mohammandi
Category: Family

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Looking To Buy: Small goat farm somewhere near Baltimore, prefer at least 5 “fainting” goats
April 28, 2008

Have you ever tried to buy a small goat farm? It’s not the easiest thing to find online. Cows are one thing, but goats…whew. I can’t even find anything on Craigslist or Ebay! Oh, and the ones available aren’t even the right kind! So here’s my plea to you all- where are all the fainting goat farms?

As you may know, fainting goats (myotonic goats) have a neurological condition that causes their muscles to freeze for 10 seconds or so when they are startled. The result (seen above) is the goat becoming temporarily paralyzed (though not unconcious) regardless of whether they were running, standing or just walking about. Seems like a bizarre pet or animal to raise, know? Then you’re wondering why I am looking for a fainting goat farm?

Because in less than two weeks Kim will be having a milestone birthday (let’s call it her 21st) and her first birthday request came in: a fainting-goat farm. I was hoping the full kitchen, dining/bar area, backyard renovations were going to be sufficient…but she wants goats! I’m a lot easier to shop for, I just want 30 or so acres of vineyard area in Oregon or Northern California!

If anyone out there is looking to get rid of a small goat farm or a few fainting goats- let me know!

Author: Michael Mohammandi
Category: Micellaneous

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